The RCMRD/SERVIR-E&SA Project management team and project staff have taken a five-day retreat to discuss the current and upcoming work plan and performance targets for the period 2019-2020. The intensive programme, which is taking place between July 15 to 19 in Muranga entails each thematic section and the cross cutting sections review of their current work plans, indicating the progress and what is to be achieved before the close of the financial year.

The thematic heads and cross cutting section heads also gave detailed presentations of their 2018/2019 work plans and the specific resource requirements. After each presentation, the participants gave comments and suggestions on how to improve the work plans. The team also reviewed the budget and presented the budget for the year 2019/2020. The SERVIR work planning retreat mainly focused on developing a comprehensive FY19/20 work plan for the SERVIR-E&SA project.  By the end of the retreat, the team developed a final draft of the work plan for submission to USAID, including the budget and a travel plan for quarter one and other planned/known events of the year. The leads provided an overview of the proposed services in the four Thematic Areas, the main components of the proposed services e.g. tools/products to be developed, trainings to be offered, engagements, communication activities. The thematic areas are: i. Agriculture and Food Security, ii. Land Use Land Cover and Ecosystems, iii. Weather and Climate and iv. Water and Water Related Disasters. 

The team further looked at components and the linkage to services under M&E activities; Capacity Development; User Engagement; GIT activities; Communications activities and the Grants program. The retreat discussed any new activities; the Journey to Self Reliance (J2SR) and Partnership for Resilience and Economic Growth (PREG) Partners. Joining the SERVIR-E&SA/RCMRD team during the retreat was Emily Adams the Eastern and Southern Africa Science Coordination Lead for the NASA SERVIR Science Coordination Office.